Of Little Voices And Big Dreams

Kids are priceless and their innocence precious. Sometimes though, sometimes they ask in their little voices very difficult questions, questions you would rather the Earth open up and swallow you before you answered them………

When I say I am babysitting; I really mean that I’ll find something on the TV that we can all watch and (try to) keep them out of trouble until their mom comes pick them up.

Their tiny minds are like sponges absorbing all sorts “knowledge” so one must filter carefully what reaches through.

One of my nieces wanted to be a pilot from when she could talk until accidentally catching a scene from an episode of some “seconds from disaster mayday air collision” type TV series; promptly put an end to that dream.

The other day whilst watching Zootopia, you know the place; where anyone can be anything? I decided to ask a niece what she wanted to be….

“A Disney Princess” said a little voice with a big dream (after binge watching episodes of Sophia The First)

“Sure darling you can be a Disney Princess” I replied. Who am I to deny a girl her dreams?……

Little princess all dressed in white throwing rose petals

This other time we were scrolling channels looking for something to watch when a commercial for feminine hygiene products come on. You know the type with a catchy upbeat jingle about staying dry always and a lady with an umbrella is dancing in the street; a voice narrating how the new design and “wings” give extra protection:

The Niece turns to me and asks “Are those like the Elastoplast® in the drawer?” (The Band aids) we always keep some around because the little hands and legs always getting into scrapes.
I replied with a quick yes and hoped that was the end of that, but a few seconds later;

“How come she is singing and dancing if she is hurt?” asked a little voice.

“Where is she hurt?” another little voice asked

“You cant see it__” I started to reply then decided to go with “Anyway, she isn’t hurt bad__ ….she is fine now….”

In my head I was thinking oh lawd where is their mother; as I changed the channel. On the next channel there was another commercial, its almost as if there is schedule that such commercials show during this particular segment.

This time it was a bunch teenage girls in a classroom dancing and singing a catchy tune about checking for leaks as always. I guess it was a regular commercial because the little ones were singing and dancing along…….
A tiny hand was pulling my leg trying to get my attention and I could just tell that they had a question to ask…. And I probably would get myself tangled into a web I was not equipped to deal with so I changed the channel again…..

On the next channel, there is a Cadbury chocolate commercial. A lady pregnant with triplets is eating Cadbury chocolate.

The “babies” in her tummy loving it so much they start singing Joy a song by The Soil (which happens to be my favourite song from my favourite accapella group)

“I got joy in my heart
And you know it’s the kind of feeling
Followed by a sense of healing, “

What happens next you can definitely imagine:

“Do babies like chocolate?” a little voice asks

“Where do babies come from?” another asks as well

“Chocolate!!!!” another replies

“So…. If you eat chocolate______” another little voice starts to speak………………

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26 Comments

I was waiting at the school gates for my kids, as you do! My 6 year old daughter (at the time) arrived but I still had to wait for my son. At the top
of her voice – because that’s what kids do she asked “Mummy. I know what sex is”
Everyone around us stopped talking. Birds stopped chirping. Dogs stopped peeing on lamp posts.. all waiting to see what I’d do. No pressure..
I asked in a strangled voice, trying to buy time “Oh What’s That then?”
“Sex is where Grandma lives” My mother lived in Sussex. Heart failure and Social Services averted for another day!!

This was such a cute post, I found myself laughing when the feminine commercials came on…lol, I can only imagine their eyes looking at you. I think children are very interesting but I would have to say, one day I was talking to my son and I forgot what we were talking about but I made reference to a year, I was telling him that something came out centuries ago, like in the 1700’s and the next thing I know, he asked me – so mama, is that when you were born?….huh????….what????…I literally tried to go to the store and buy every wrinkle cream they had on the shelf….lol lol. Kids say and ask the darndest things. Your niece is beautiful.

Hahaha the concept of age and time is so abstract to tiny minds….. I was once told “uncle you are really oooold”
I asked as ever so calm as I could “sweetie, how old, do, you, think, I am?”
In a heart beat she replied “16”
~B